[b]Jacob[b/]

Cassandra. Jacob liked the name. 

He considered his response to her question. Yes, he knew what happened to the women that were abducted and thrown aboard the Lusty Pillager. He knew that they were cruelly ripped away from their family, locked in a room at sea for days, weeks, or months, and eventually sold to the highest bidder. What happened after that was uncertain. It was suspected that most of them were forced to work for wealthy criminals and corrupt lords, and that others were dragged to a brothel where they would work till their looks failed them. Rumour had it that some were requested for the purpose of a forced marriage, and word had gotten around that one woman had even managed to find herself executed for the attempted murder of her fiancé. Of course, had she been in a position to object she would have turned the ugly bastard away in an instant.

In short, the women captured faced a bleak fate. However, Cassandra was different. Trips across the ocean often took place once a dozen or more women had been kidnapped, but this time there was only one. According to the captain the money offered for the transport of Cassandra was ten times what it was for twenty other women. That was as much as Jacob knew, though. Whatever the captain had in store for her certainly didn't involve slave labour or a brothel.

"They're sold," Jacob said, nodding his head. "They're sold and then worked to death in most cases. Are you glad you asked? I can tell you more, about the women who have been raped aboard this ship, and how they are then forced to have sex every day for the rest of their lives..."

Jacob looked Cassandra dead in the eye. It wasn't a threatening look, nor was it friendly. Those observant enough may have even noticed a hint of sympathy in his expression. What he and the crew of the Lusty Pillager did for a living was not honourable, it was the work of scum. Then again, the same scum also lived in palaces and ate extravagant food while they decided what to do with the money thieved from their subjects. The truth of the matter was that the world was full of scum. In Jacobs eyes you could either join them or be taken advantage of by them. It was an easy choice.

"You are worth a lot of money, and the captain is going to a great deal of trouble to keep you alive. So, I'll say this one more time, keep your damn head down!"

With that he made a swift exit and locked the door behind him. He spent the day working on deck, and not once did anything other than Cassandra cross his mind.